Shayla Maddox

So last week I submitted my work to someone in NY who was writing an article about Sand Artists. I even told her in my email that I didn't think I was exactly what she meant, but that I did use sand in my art, so I was submitting just in case.

Turns out, she liked my art and immediately sent me more information, and 8 interview questions about why I do what I do. This was very interesting for me. I hadn't thought of myself as a sand artist exactly, even though I use sand in almost all of my paintings. Answering these questions helped me recognize that I use sand very purposefully, and even emotionally in my art. Here's one of my answers:

...shown with the lights off...



Pale Orange & Yellow (color study) now available.

Labels: color studies, etsy

And also glassy, but I took these pictures before that happened.

I will list this in my Etsy shop tomorrow, Wednesday.

Labels: color studies

Remember when I said that Nova Palette was my new favorite piece from Interrupt?


Well... I think I'd like to revise my previous statement. Cause this one is pretty freakin' rad. It's called Phi Palette.

Up for me this week: Working on a book, (heh, that sounds cool every time I say it) working on an interview about Sand Artists that I get to participate in, learning more about international shipping, getting Luminary and Wisdom ready to meet their new family, and initial planning of 6 small paintings to send to 2 different gallery locations in New York!

[and I haven't even had coffee yet!]

Labels: bad assery

It's drawing you in...






Ingredients: acrylic, beach sand, phosphorescent pigments, varnish, water & light on canvas.

Woo!

The full listing of Gravity with all 5 images is in my Etsy shop.

Ingredients: acrylic, beach sand, finely ground glass, phosphorescent pigments, varnish, water & light on canvas.

It's taken a long time to get here, and I can't honestly say that I'm satisfied to call it done. On the other hand, I think it takes a maturity (that I don't really have) to know when to let it go. This in itself intrigues me, and I've decided that I'm willing to try. Anything more would be too much.

The good news is, I have the freedom to explore this concept again in the future, if it seems important to me to do so at the time. What I would be painting would be "Enlightenment," not a particular color or shape. I have no idea what enlightenment will look like to me in a few years.

This is what it looks like to me right now.

It's based off of a Zen Teaching that I read years ago in a book on Japanese Gardens. It struck me at the time, and made sense to me in a way that I can only describe as profound.


It's difficult for me to say much more than that.

One of the happy accidents that I love most about this painting is the subtle "aged" look that occurred naturally and that I enhanced because it was the right thing to do. I had initially wanted a smooth, glassy, water-like feel to the piece, but as time progressed, so did my intentions for the finished painting. I wanted to add "time" to it, painted time, painted to show the slow, constantly winding path we all take throughout our lives, inching ever closer to enlightenment.

The most interesting lesson I learned from this painting is that I don't think I'll ever be finished with it. :o)

Either way, here's the official listing in my Etsy shop.

I'm super excited about this particular "version" though. Perhaps I say that about most of my paintings, because the entire reason I make them is because *I* enjoy it. If I wasn't personally excited about it, you probably wouldn't ever see it, because I wouldn't really want to show you. The truth is, I'm painting for me.


P.S. So, I've been thinking of doing another walk-through installation piece..................

As always happens when I finish a painting, somehow, mysteriously, my next painting ends up being a direct contrast of colors to my previous painting. It's like my brain needs to balance. The last painting I finished is a very soothing, cool, teal&blue&white extravaganza. (Which I'm not *entirely* finished with because I can't seem to stop fine-tuning it, even though I officially debuted it to my friends at a party last weekend.) (Although I promise to finish it today and try to get final pictures up tomorrow.) (But if I keep talking in parenthesis, then it doesn't really commit me to anything.) (ha.)

ANYWAY.


What I'm saying is: Orange. And Yellow. Obviously. It had to be that way. Orange&yellow&purple, actually.


Bright, neon looking purple, just like these orchids, which somehow my best girl just psychically knew I was planning to use anyway when she randomly gifted me with this incredible plant yesterday. [How did she know???? I only began the orange yesterday morning.]

I love starting new paintings. :o)

...It would really be better if palm trees looked like this:




I'm just sayin'.

(I took these in Newport Beach, CA.)

Interesting responses I have heard from others in the last week:

Ugh, shouldn't have worn flip-flops. I feel under-dressed. "But, you're an artist!!"

Too much caffeine. Need wine. Can't have wine, it's 2 in the afternoon. "But, you're an artist!!"

Actually, I have a lot of work to do tomorrow. "But, you're an artist!!"

All in one week.

This led me to consider all the possibilities. I wonder what other "quirks" I can start blaming on being an artist. I say, everything.

Labels: look at this pretty painting and you won't notice that i'm wearing yesterday's pants

Ingredients: acrylic, candle wax, beach sand, crushed sea shells, glass, phosphorescent pigments, varnish, water & light on canvas.

This piece was so waxy that the paint and varnish refused to stick. It took many, many, many, many, many different attempts to make it work. After that, I had fun melting it again. Woo!

Pronounce it however you prefer, but in my mind, this is said more like the French way. Voy-ahhhhhj. Yep.

The full listing of Voyage is now on Etsy.

Labels: jules verne

I am so honored to have received this book. Acres of Love is celebrating their 10th anniversary, and commemorated the occasion with this amazing book about what they do every day in South Africa. Thanks so much to everyone at Acres!

Please take a moment to enjoy this with me. :o)





"South Africa has been referred to as the "rainbow nation," a title reflecting the country's highly diverse population and culture. The hand-woven, beaded spine of this brochure was created by a South African Zulu artisan to represent that diversity and the bright spirit of its people."

This is pretty intense:


Some of the gorgeous and amazing pages in the book:





INCREDIBLE: Read about the miracle story of Kitty, "...the only person in the world known to have survived both cancer and HIV." (click the image to enlarge text.)



I'm not just saying this, I really do believe that the kids at Acres of Love are the most beautiful I've ever seen. :o)

Aww. Cutie.

As you're probably already aware, I'm in complete love with this organization. I feel so fortunate to have been told about them, and donating 10% of my art sales to them is one of the happiest things I do in my life. I'm just thrilled to be a part of something so incredibly profound.

I strongly encourage you to check out their website at Acres of Love to learn more about them. They create miracles every day.

:o)

Labels: acres of love

This painting was made with a lot of quiet contemplation. A LOT.



I labored over every step. I think I've been painting this since October. No, September. That was when I did my first study on it. Wow.



Sometimes it takes awhile.

Another awesome art piece from Interrupt. :o) This is called Nova Palette, and is available as an 8x10 print in his Etsy shop.

It might be my new favorite. :oD

Labels: the mutual admiration society